The combination of a strong cold frontal passage during the morning of the 8th and a rapidly intensifying low pressure system off the Middle Atlantic and New England States brought snow and plunging temperatures during the day on the 8th. Actual accumulations averaged an inch or two in the southern part of New Jersey and 2 to 4 inches in the northern part of the state. The snow combined with the sharp drop in temperatures to bring treacherous driving conditions on untreated roadways during the afternoon and evening and countless accidents occurred, especially in the northern half of the state. Precipitation started as rain before sunrise on the 8th. The cold front moved through New Jersey between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. EST (from northwest to southeast) as a low pressure system on the front was intensifying. Temperatures dropped quickly behind this front both at the surface and aloft. The rain changed to snow between 8 a.m. (northwest areas first) and Noon EST (southeast areas last). About an hour after the precipitation changed to snow, temperatures dropped below freezing as the snow continued to fall. The snow ended during the mid and late afternoon from west to east across the state. But, its lingering effects lasted well into the morning rush on the 9th as the wind blew the snow back on the road. Townships averaged about a dozen weather related accidents, especially in the northern half of the state. In Hunterdon County, Interstate 78 was closed for five miles because of more than twenty accidents. About 75 accidents were reported across northern New Jersey on interstates 287, 78 and 80 and New Jersey State Route 24. In Somerset County, an accident on westbound Interstate 78 that involved a tractor-trailer and vehicle caused serious injuries. In Monmouth County, a roadway was closed in Holmdel Township after a vehicle knocked down a pole. Problems in Monmouth County persisted through the next morning as multiple accidents in the southbound lanes of New Jersey State Route 18 in Colts Neck closed the road for several hours. In Long Branch, nine accidents occurred within 45 minutes. Many after school activities and classes were cancelled on the 8th. The regional spelling bee in Monmouth County was postponed. Specific snow accumulations included 4.0 inches in Oakhurst (Monmouth County) and Brick Township (Ocean County), 3.5 inches in Manalapan (Monmouth County), 3.0 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 2.8 inches in Marcella (Morris County) and Stewartsville (Warren County), 2.5 inches in Florence (Burlington County) and Skillman (Somerset County), 2.3 inches in Ewing (Mercer County), 2.0 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex County), 1.9 inches in Somerdale (Camden County), 1.5 inches in Tabernacle (Burlington County) and East Amwell Township (Hunterdon County), 1.4 inches in Chatham (Morris County), 1.0 inch in Seabrook (Cumberland County) and 0.3 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport. The snow was caused by the combination of the cold frontal passage and the rapidly intensifying low pressure system that developed on the front during the morning of the 8th. The low moved northeast and was an already intense 986 mb near Danville, Virginia at 7 a.m. EST on the 8th. From there it continued to move northeast and deepened to a 978 mb low just east of Long Beach Island, New Jersey at 1 p.m. EST on the 8th, to a 970 mb low over Nantucket Island, Massachusetts at 7 p.m. EST on the 8th to a 964 mb low just southwest of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia at 1 a.m. EST on the 9th.

Winter Weather in EASTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 11:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 19:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in EASTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 11:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 18:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in GLOUCESTER, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 10:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 15:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in HUNTERDON, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 10:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 16:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in MERCER, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 10:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 16:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in MIDDLESEX, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 10:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 17:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in EASTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 11:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 17:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in EASTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 11:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 16:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in MORRIS, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 09:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 15:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 10:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 16:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in SALEM, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 11:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 15:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 10:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 16:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 11:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 17:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 09:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 16:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in WARREN, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 09:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 15:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in WESTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 11:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 17:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in WESTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 11:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 15:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in WESTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 11:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 19:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in WESTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 11:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 16:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 10:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 15:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in CUMBERLAND, NEW JERSEY
From 08-MAR-05 11:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 15:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC